They're 6 ft tall, they look like great, big, fluffy, plushie versions of lizards, due to their home planet being a rather cold place, and humans are absolutely sqee'ing in delight. To the humans, these creatures, Deathworlders like them, are so absolutely adorable it's almost painful! -- Anon Guest
They were called the Quetzaloq, and they were indeed feathered lizards. They met the Humans on a frosty world they were both looking at for resort capability. For an uncomfortable moment, ape met reptile across a frosty field and both assumed the other was native to the area.
It's an honest mistake.
When they also simultaneously realised they were observing each other's duck blinds, they had a good laugh about it. Then the Humans did what Humans always do, and spread their pack-bonding all over the place.
Humans shared food, games, and artworks made out of the snow and the occasional twig or leaf. The Quetzaloq were fascinated and introduced the Humans to some of their own food, games, and so on.
Then Surveyor Ial did what Humans also do, which was reach out and pet one of their new allies.
There was no intended malice. No intent at all beyond the simple curiosity as to what those fluffy feathers felt like. She was giving scritches before she realised that she was giving scritches to her new friend Haqlo. She had no idea that giving scritches could start a flakking war.
She didn't stop until Haqlo said, "What is called, what you do?"
Ial froze, hand still deep in Haqlo's feathers. "Uh. Scritches?"
There was a timeless moment in which all the Humans held their breaths. Was this an offense? A terrible end to a good start?
"Scritches good," said Haqlo, causing all the Humans to breathe easily again. "Blunt human fingers causing no blood." He leaned into Ial's hand. "More?"
[Photo by Alexander Sinn on Unsplash]
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