#original worldsetting

“Is this…normal for humans?” The question was barely audible over the din of the fight going on below in the bar area below. The fight had started with some shouting only to escalate into a fight, but there was no move to really stop the fight. What security there was more or less surrounded the fight, keeping an eye that it didn’t get too bad and to keep others from joining in. The Asterikel, Skelly, had turned sharply at the fight, watching it for a moment before he had asked the question, confusion clear in his tone of voice. The admiral that sat across from Skelly took a long sip of her drink, barely casting a glance down to the fight taking place and the loud cheers, “Happens yes. Been watching that situation build for a few days. Two idiots who couldn’t stop pulling pot shots at each other. Mostly just the stress talking there though.” “And no mediation was proposed?” Skelly asked, the glowing eyes in the socket of his skull-like visage widening a touch in surprise.

A soft chuckle escaped the admiral, “Skelly? I don’t know how your people handle stress, but sometimes, sometimes you just got to throw some hands and get it out and those two have been at each other’s throats. If they keep it to the bar and there are no serious injuries other than pride, why not. Crew has been running hard of late.”

The Asterikel let out a soft hum, fingers tapping lightly on the glass of his drink, “My people turn to meditation and a form of mediation where all parties express their path. It is uncommon for fights between Asterikels to be allowed, and most are handled in specific ways at monasteries.” “Your people come off as being very hard to stress, you know?” The admiral said with a chuckle.

“I think it comes with how you humans seem to…overthink everything. Every choice is made as if it there is no life to be had after,” Skelly responded, “I find it strange really, Admiral Delago, how… rigid your people are and how everything is internalized.”

The old admiral gave a chuckle and a small shrug, “I think people just don’t like feeling we are putting a burden on others. Been in our culture to try and bottle things up since the dawn of civilization.”

“I don’t understand,” the Asterikel murmured with a shake of their head, “But I’m sure there are aspects of my people’s culture that make little sense.”

“The engineers are still trying to wrap their heads around how your people achieved space flight without ever using math,” Admiral Delago said with a smirk, “Or the finance people on how you don’t have a money system at all.”

Skelly gave a small chuckle, “Yes, I do not think the latter appreciate me saying that Asterikels measure “wealth” in the experiences you are allowed to have, not in the monetary price put upon it. On the emotional wholeness of each individual, rather than the power of one.”

The admiral gave a small nod, “Different walks of life. I’m sure though if they bothered to look at your history, it wasn’t always like that.”

“All things change with time,” Skelly paused, glancing to the admiral, “But much of human behavior has not since the destruction of the lost home.” The admiral sighed, glancing down to where the fight had come to its close and all parties separated and given room to breathe, “Our ancestors have made the adaptions they could, but… a lot of people want to cling to old ways because it was the ways on Earth. But a lot has changed. We have had to become more fluid, more accepting in order to survive. Better at taking care of each other because we need each other.” Delgado gave a faint smile, “But we have a long way to go and with every generation, humans are evolving into something different. My far-off terra ancestors would be having a conniption and throwing fits to see how society has to be now for survival.”

Skelly gave a small nod, “Change is good. Humanity changes like the earth, slow and deliberate, which seems so slow to my people who change like the weather of a turbulent planet. But I do admire your species tenacity to endure, despite it all.” “And we are happy to have you here to help us navigate and adapt to the community of space-faring species,” The admiral responded, raising her cup, “Helping us avoid as many intergalactic incidents and maybe one day be accepted among the powerful empires.” “I do what I can to help. After all, we are cousin species, yours and mine. The lost home, Earth, it was where once we lived before we were taken far away,” The Asterikel said with a nod, lifting his own class.

Admiral Delgado chuckled, “Yes, but our evolution kept our skeletons from being seen,”

“I still don’t get why some humans find that upsetting,” Skelly said with a sigh.