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High-pitched clicks and growls came from the right, a little ways away. Younglings, your mind supplied. It surprised you they weren’t over here, messing with. Well, besides the singular child in your lap. His mother is protective of him but she knows you and allows to watch over him. She deserves some time to herself, as you told her.
Qui’oky is his name and he’s very interested of your drawing book. Especially of the drawing you were currently working on. His mother’s alien face slowly appearing on the page as you struggled to work out the mandibles. You did your best though.
One the youngling’s small claws traced a line you had just drawn. “Mommy,” he stated in his language.
“Yep, Kiddo. That’s your mommy,” you said and continued to sketch out the picture. It wasn’t turning out the greatest. With practice, came skill. It would take time for you to perfect said skill. Many of the Yautjas around you do the same when they hunt. If they didn’t, those that hunt would die. Kill or be killed in their world. One that wasn’t very welcoming of you. You made do though.
The child grabbed at your mechanical pencil but you were already pulling it away. “Hey, no. K’ko, Qui. If you want it, ask nicely.” Within the Yautja society, you knew politeness didn’t exist. Respect and honor were held on a pedestal. Yet, you wanted him to be polite, at least around you. Ask and not take your things.
His tiny hands stilled, head tilted back to look up at you. From this angle though, he couldn’t see you. “Please?” he softly trilled. Excitement bloomed in your chest. You’ve been trying to teach him about manners but it only does so much with a being that’s no older than three years.
You relented and let Qui have it. Before he could draw over your work, you turned to a page in the back and let him have his fun.
To your eye, it was all scribbles and random marks. Yet, you knew, to Qui, he saw a glorious drawing before him. You let him work, complimented his drawings until a presence behind you made you freeze. Then, you tilted your head back.
Gawtin stood there with a beautiful new fabric hanging from her waist. In a way, it was a skirt. You gazed softly up at her. “Hey, you’re back earlier than I thought,” you said with a smile. Her upper mandibles lift in the same manner. She was magnificent.
In your lap, Qui shifted, dropped your materials, and rushed over to his mother. Happy clicks sounded from his throat, arms spread as he grabbed at one of legs. Gawtin continued to smile as she bent over and picked up the child. You grabbed your sketch book and pencil from their discarded places and stood up. The mother was chittering too quickly for you to understand. Nevertheless, you used some common sense to know what she was talking about.
Her child returned with rapid chitters and growls. It was still considered baby talk to you. His words like to blend with each other which made your life all that harder to understand him.
Once he finished his amazing story, Gawtin’s gaze turned back to you. “You showed at a perfect time though. The trees’’ shadow had moved so I was about to get up and move as well.” Due to Yautja Prime’s harsh atmosphere, you couldn’t be exposed for longer than an hour. Any longer, your skin would be blistering painfully. Thirty minutes is max you could handle with time to cool down. Enough time to traverse to the public grounds and rest under one of the largest trees you’ve ever seen. Bigger than a red wood back on earth.
Strangely enough, Gawtin’s eyes were focused on something either right behind you or the top of your head. “Gaw? Is something wrong? Is Foq’tuy staring at me again?” That male had a nasty habit of staring at you. He’s the reason there was disgusting scar on your bicep. He decided to bring it upon himself to take care of the ‘ooman problem’. Foq’tuy was lucky to be alive after Gawtin dealt with him.
She shook her head, tresses bumping into one another. “H’ko. You have something in your hair.” Gaw seemed to pause and calculated in her head. “Do you want me to get it out?” Red flushed to your cheeks. Had you been sitting here this whole time withs something in your hair? Paya, help you.
“O-oh, yes please, if you don’t mind,” you stuttered and played with your hands. Having her ask to touch your hair wasn’t unusual. For what you considered their ‘hair’, its scared to them. A sexual interaction to them. Of course, with humans, it’s usually not that way. Old habits die hard.
Gawtin gently reached out with a yellow-tan hand. Warmth rolled off the limb as it hovered over your head for a spilt moment. Then, she carefully plucked whatever was on your head with two sharp talons.
The Yautja holds it before her and inspect it. You recognize it as a mildly venomous insect to the aliens that inhabit this planet. “Thank you, I prefer not to be bitten by that thing,” you acknowledged her action. Qui reached out to touch the bug but his mother pulled it away from him.
“You are welcome, ooman,” she responded then crushed it between her fingers. The insects blood squirted out and covered her digit. In all honest, the display was hot with power. You cautiously reached out and used a finger to rub Qui’s chin. He purred and pushed against you.
“So, got any plans for later?”