Summary: Baby Gigan gets his first bath-time!
The floofy little chick peeped and chirped, as he waddled clumsily down one of the many corridors within the ship as fast as his little legs could take him. He was covered from head to tail in a thick downy coat, and that coat was in turn now covered in a gold liquid of questionable origin. Gigan didn’t know what this sticky stuff was, but it was its golden color that drew the young chick in when he saw it.
Adults of his species have prominent gold displayed on their bodies, in the form of feathers. Soft warm feathers ripe for snuggling into. It was instinct for young chicks to cuddle into it, and unfortunately for the Nebulans, this instinct is indiscriminate towards anything colored gold. Including unfinished painted sculptures.
Little Gigan didn’t like this stuff in his down. It made his coat heavy and uncomfortable. But before he could make clumsy attempts to preen himself, his adoptive parents found him. And hearing the angry ruckus they made, he immediately ran off. He hadn’t a clue what the Nebulans were yelling out for; at best, he recognized the sound of his own name. They sounded upset and the way they were chasing him, he did not want to know why. So he waddled. And waddled, and waddled some more.
Where was his nest? Who cares, just waddle. Why is he waddling again? Oh, right, his parents were playing chase with him!
He heard the distinct noise of a door closing just ahead and he turns a corner to find the door fastening shut. Nowhere to go down here. So he huddled in a corner to hide, closing his eye. After all, if he can’t see them, then they can’t see him, right? But alas, the Nebulans somehow found him and he feels something wrap around his chest. He jumps and plops to the ground, knowing he’s been caught. He playfully hooks a claw around the leash attached to his harness, his little beak full of baby teeth chewing on it.
Without a word, he’s slowly dragged along down the hall.
"Sir, he's making a break for it!"
"We can't keep him back, he's too powerful!"
"By the Void, there's a mess everywhere!"
"Keep it together, lads! Remember: he can smell fear!"
Gigan still had no idea why they were yelling as he climbed up the domed cage meant to keep him from escaping the tub. His coat was now covered in bubbles alongside the paint, and he would shake himself if he could.
His claws, feet, and beak were hooked onto the bars, securing him from falling back into the soapy water below. He didn't like this new wet experience, and feeling the loofah reach his tail and scrub his bottom, he screeched in protest and tried to climb higher. Alas, there was no higher place to go as the walls were starting to curve too sharply for him.
There was no escape as his bottom was cleaned, even as he tried shifting off to the side, invariably going in circles around the top of the cage. He felt the scrubbing go up his back, onto his tiny little sails and he flattens them against his soaked floof. He shrieks again, letting go with his beak to glare at the evil scrubber and swiping at it with a claw.
Alas, it was this action that has him slip off and back into the bath with a splash! Several of his parents were swept off in his unintentional counter-attack, but many more took their place as they swarmed him.
He shrieks again in dismay, clinging to the bars with his claws as the cockroaches proceed to scrub every inch of him. But this time, he makes no attempt to climb as his big eye looks around for any escape option.
There was no escape; he must stay where he is and face this cruel and unusual punishment.
He still had no idea what he did to deserve this...
After some time of this bath, the Nebulans finally returned little Gigan into his nest within their incubator. How he escaped his nest to begin with, they had no idea, so they were definitely going to up the security around here.
Gigan shook himself, his downy feathers still a little damp, and he shivered as he plopped down onto his tummy. His tail gave a little wag, a last attempt to shake off the water, and he began to settle in for a nap...
... Before movement above him has him instinctively open his beak wide and lift his head, chirping and begging for food. His efforts weren’t wasted, as the Nebulans placed a waiting piece of bite-sized meat into that open mouth. A treat for doing so good with his first bath... or as good as it can go. At least nobody died.
The chick swallowed it down like nothing before settling back to rest his beak into the comfort of his nest. He had quite a bit of excitement today, and tomorrow will no doubt hold even more adventures!
But for now, it’s dream-time, with his insect parents watching over him with caring (and paranoid) eyes.
