Beep Boop

Human culture weird :/ (Grace parent, question???)

Questions like "Have you fed the human yet?" probably frequently get asked and answered with "Ugh i was GOING to!"

(At first it was probably a whole team of high ranking Eridian scientists taking care of it, but soon it became a volunteering thing, like helping out at the soup kitchen or something. School classes sign up for taking care of Grace for a week or two in order to teach the kids responsibility)

And not just that, someone also needs to add enrichment for him and make sure that it's not too repetitive.

Someone needs to keep him company and hang out with him and it can't ALWAYS be the same person because Rocky and Grace both need to be around others too from time to time.

Grace is a high maintanance pet. And he's happy with this arrangement.

This isn't an original thought because many have said this before me, but it's one that cannot be stated often enough.

Petrova

strangers like me

(full version below cut)

Love the soft, curious moments of them sharing about their own cultures, biology, etc. I do think Rocky would have a field day when Grace explains skin as a very sensitive and permeable organ with lots of stuff packed tight on the surface. Since goosebumps are very tactile, I thought Rocky would enjoy hearing those.

Also, bonus.

I’m giving him a child. A very awkward and shy little pebble who has only one parent who is struggling to take care of them on their own.

They get really chatty when they get comfortable with someone :)

I mean full-on khaki-shorts-wearing, traversing-wilderness-with-nothin'-but-a-machete Adrian who yoinks snakes outta trees and pets swamp puppies and will unflinchingly dig around in elephant faeces for signs of a rare parasitic tapeworm if needed.

Oh, humans eat socially? No problem, Adrian has observed many many animals eat. Did you know that an obscure species of small underground dirt creature from the north side of Erid also eats socially? Adrian can give you a not-so-short presentation on them.

Oh, the human has no external carapace and so its internal sounds are absurdly loud, wet and off-putting? No problem, Adrian was just conducting an expedition last month researching the incredible eridian animal, the Wet Loud Worm from the south-east region of Wet Loud Wormland. They're desensitised, it's fine.

Oh, Grace leaks often from many orifices and it can be a bit of a learning curve to get used to? No problem for Adrian, see Wet Loud Worm paragraph again!

Tara Maclay + Smiling