The only universal language
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8
After some proper sleep, you slipped into the station halls, taking time to stretch your legs. You felt like you'd spent so much time hunched over, trying to seem non-threatening that your joints were starting to lock up.
You followed the sounds of tiny grunts and trills to the kids' rooms, spotting two of the station's resident children wrestling with each other on the floor.
One was your species with similar greens and reds to Yinsin just much smaller. Their wings were covered in baby downy feathers making them look like an angry cloud.
The other child looked closer to Et-han but without the tusks or large nostrils. They had a longer snout and two curled horns on their head with a puffy mane on their back. They were covered in coarse white fur with dextrous five fingered hands and hoofed feet.
You watched their wrestling, making sure it didn't get out of hand. However, as the avian child fell down, they made a shrill squawk that made you laugh, outing yourself to the warring children.
"Mama!" They both jumped up, running to you and hugging your legs.
"Hello children, I didn't mean to interrupt your game." You chuckled at them.
"Where have you been?!" The avian child said.
"You've been in your lab for ages!!" The horned one said.
"I've only been in my lab for a couple cycles, Alyr." You shook your head, "but I have been very busy and I'm sorry I have not made time for you."
"Can you make time for us now?" The avian child asked.
"Yes, Thistle, I'm here now if we want to do something together."
"I'll go get the others!" Alyr called, darting out the room as fast as his hooves could carry him.
Thistle stayed with you, reaching her little hands to you. You picked her up without question and she nestled her beak into your chest.
You couldn't help the low coo bubbling up in your throat. "I see you've been practising your combat." You spoke up.
"Trying. Alyr's too strong, he never lets me win." Thistle grumbled.
"It's not all about strength, Thistle," you cooed, "you just need to use what you have to your advantage."
"Like what?"
"Well, Alyr is stronger but he's slower than you, and less agile. Don't engage him head on next time. Take some time to think about your strategy."
"Mmm," Thistle's eyes started to close as you held her up. She was a little too big to hold now but you would never reject them when they asked to be picked up.
You turned to walk out of the doorway as you heard the patter of more tiny feet. Alyr was back and with him, he'd brought a spiky reptilian offspring that walked on four legs and a black, furry, mammalian child with rounded ears with white eye-spots, their padded feet making almost no noise as they all ran towards you, nearly knocking you off your feet as they hugged you.
You chuckled at each of them, reaching a hand down to pat the mammalian child on the head and hunching down to allow the reptilian to climb up your back.
"Goodness, where is all this excitement coming from? I swear it has only been a couple cycles, have I been neglecting you all?"
"We just missed you," the mammalian muttered, tiny arms wrapping around your waist.
"And you always get super into your work when in your lab," the reptilian huffed , using your shoulders as a perch as their long tail wrapped around your shoulder for security.
"What were you doing in there anyway?" Alyr asked.
"How about we all sit down and I may tell you."
"Really?" The mammalian asked.
"Really, really, Sie." You twittered, walking towards the main common room.
The room had a massive screen and multiple comfortable seating arrangements. One wall was a large window looking out into space. You all sat together on the large circular couch, you in the middle with each child tucked as close as they could to you, all of them touching you in some way.
Thistle sat in your lap, still curled against your chest. The reptilian child, Tocktin, still sat on your shoulders. Sie was curled up beside you, leaning into your side while Alyr hid in your wing.
"Alright, have any of you heard about humans before?"
Sie perked up, "I remember humans. They were part of the crew that brought me here. They were really nice and one was really cuddly."
"What do they look like?" Thistle asked.
"They had very tight skin with no fur but there are some tiny hairs. They have most hair on the top of their head or under their arms and they're bipedal like us. They don't have a snout though, their face is flat."
"And they're friendly?" Alyr asked.
"These ones were. I think it's because they knew I was young. All of them were very nice to me and always answered my questions, even if the other crew told me I was being annoying."
You let out a trill at the thought of anyone saying that to your child. "I'm glad your experience of them is so positive," you eventually said, "however, just like any species, there are good and bad so it's always important to be careful around strangers."
"Is this about humans then?" Tocktin asked.
"Yes," you nodded, "the authorities brought a smaller human in a few cycles ago. This one does not know our language and has not been treated well. They're very scared at the moment and I'm trying to build trust so I can provide any medical assistance."
"Are they a child too?" Sie asked.
"Et-han seems to think so," you nodded, "they do act child-like."
"Can we meet them?" Alyr asked.
"Maybe later but they're very scared at the moment and they can't understand us so we can't explain that they're safe yet." You looked to each of them, "it's very important that none of you go into the lab without permission, ok? They still need to learn that they're safe and they still need to be looked at." You looked at each of the children as they nodded dutifully.
"Right," Alyr straightened up in your wing, "but once they know they're safe, I want to meet them. I want to help them feel better."
"Me too!" Sie nodded profusely.
"When they're ready," you said, "I'm sure they'd love to get to know you all but we'll need to introduce you slowly so they don't get overwhelmed. They seem really shy right now."
The children all agreed and you could trust each of them to keep their word. They had all been the new child in a new home and could empathise with the human.
The children did not let you get up from the couch. Alyr grabbed the remote to allow you to turn the screen on. All of the children fell asleep on you while watching a movie and you could only coo at how cute all of them looked while asleep. You could only hope that once the human was ready that introductions with your children would go well.
