Prisoners of Sol - Derandi Chef (6/7)

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The human had no trouble settling into the guest house, and Leffle was chipper at the “magical” dimension-hopper that could read his future; the other children were easier for Etra to keep out of the way, but our oldest son had ways of slipping her grasp. I proposed the idea of them meeting under careful supervision, since trying to restrain him would only incite rebellion. Kayla was delighted to meet a little Derandi, as was obvious from how her squishy features lit up. For all of their monstrous, Elusian-handcrafted capabilities, her species behaved in a rather innocuous manner.

I hadn’t asked my chef friend what she thought of the Elusians’ motives, but somehow, I didn’t think she was grateful to her people’s creators. The raw power for an entire spaceship to be whisked straight back into the hangar: it made the humans themselves look puny. I imagined the Sol natives could feel that pressure, knowing they couldn’t hold a candle to the gray aliens. Kayla was busy rummaging through a collection of snacks that Etra had set out for her, and trying to decipher which ones Leffle liked. 

It’s definitely the fish crackers. The human seems very excited to poke through packaged snacks and to try a few for herself. Her teeth probably cut through all of them like they’re made of putty. I’ll be curious what she thinks of our junk food.

For her hands-on approach to ascertaining Leffle’s favorite, Kayla tried a fish cracker, making a strange, contorted face. “Oh, that’s not animal crackers. That’s…actual fishy. Peppery vinegary…bleh.”

“Your nose is wrinkly!” Leffle said, giggling. “Can I have some?”

The human’s disgusted expression remained, as she passed him the bag. “Have as many as you like. I hope you have some variety in the…flavors of your snacks, Vanare.”

“I know exactly what to make you at the next banquet! Fish cracker mashed potatoes,” I prodded the dimension-hopper, much to Etra’s discomfort.

“I can get you a more suitable snack.” My wife ducked her head politely, keeping a wing on Leffle to hold him back while he pecked at the crackers. Etra observed, as the dimension hopper sat idle and watched our son with fawning eyes. “I do hope there’s something in the pile that’s more enjoyable.”

Kayla picked up reddish puffs, eyeing them with suspicion. “Is this some spicy puffs? I’m down for that, but a little warning would be…ideal. And some milk on hand to cool my tongue.”

“These are some common, mild peppers, with a light spice dusting for the sweet flavor. I’m uncertain from what I know about mammals that you’ll taste the sweetness, though I’m sure my Vanare can give you the best advice where cooking is concerned. Perhaps you should avoid food that’s painful?”

“Ah, but where’s the fun in that? I love some spicy cuisine as much as the next girl; I just don’t want to burn a hole in my gut.” The human nibbled at the edge of a puff, before her eyes widened and she traded it for water. “I am excited to trade you some Sol ghost peppers and see how you take those—like champs, I’m sure. We’d be shamed by a nine-year-old Derandi, wouldn’t we?”

“Nothing to be ashamed of. You have spice receptors, and we don’t. There are many things you can do, which we can’t. Like…um…”

“Punching through metal?”

“...yeah.”

Kayla smiled sympathetically. “I don’t blame you for being a little off-put by that. I question the Elusians’ intentions giving us that kind of power—but please, don’t question ours. We didn’t choose this for ourselves.”

“If you don’t want that power, you can give it to me. Like the fish crackers!” Leffle exclaimed. 

“Maybe one day, there’ll be Derandi able to live in Sol. That’ll be something. We’ll want to make it so you can visit our home, just like you’ve been so generous to let me visit yours! It’s really delightful, Etra and Vanare, and you have all of my gratitude.”

“Save your gratitude until after you’ve tried the other snacks. You might have to rescind it otherwise.” I fluttered over, grabbing a fruitstalk pack. I noticed the human’s evident surprise at how small the sweet was, as she unwrapped it and held the sprout-shaped fruit gel in her hands. I also noted how shocked Etra was, by how brazen I was around the superpowered entity. “Judging by your affinity for sugar, I think this is a safe bet. Seriously.”

Kayla eyed me with wariness. “Can I trust you?”

“I don’t know. Can you?”

“If this is a ghost pepper trick, I’m going to pluck all of your feathers.”

“No, don’t! I’m not a chicken! I swear. I know you’re confused, but you shouldn’t filet me. That’d be a ghastly mistake.” I raised my wings with innocence, before laughing and nudging Etra. I wanted my wife to feel a bit more light-hearted. “We send a lot of fruitstalks with Leffle’s lunches, as a little treat. Really there’s nothing to worry about, unless there’s something I don’t know about humans.”

Leffle gave an encouraging squawk. “They’re super tasty, Miss Kayla! Maybe it’ll give you a sugar rush like it does for me. Pleeeease try it!”

“For you, little guy.”

The human popped the entire fruitstalk into her mouth, flinching as if expecting it to burn her tongue; her eyes opened with pleasant surprise, before she hummed with pleasure. I was beginning to gather that the Sol natives loved all things sweet, so I’d wagered that this was the safest bet for her preference. I wasn’t sure she’d be able to use our vending machines to get any while out and about, since she’d have to lay down on her belly and poke at the interface’s tiny buttons. This might be her one opportunity to get her hands on any of these snacks, unless we started trading human-sized goods across The Gap.

Kayla waggled the pack, having seen Leffle’s reaction. “I figured it out. This one is your favorite—and I assume your parents don’t want you having too many of these, especially before bed.”

“They don’t like that I like fruitstalks. I don’t see how that’s fair,” Leffle pouted. 

Etra trilled with disapproval. “You’ll understand how your parents were looking out for you, and wanted you to take care of yourself, when you’re older. You’re already a lot to keep up with, young man. I hope he’s not tiring you out, Kayla.”

“Not at all,” the human answered. “I’m glad to be spending time with you. If he’s a reflection of the other three, you’ve both done as wonderful of a job parenting as I assumed. Leffle should consider himself lucky.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say, but sometimes, it’s hard to satisfy his energy and curiosity. Kids—they grow up so fast. Here one moment, half your size and one leg out the door before you know it.”

“You can say that again. It’s like I hardly recognize mine, when I see pictures from back home. So much time passes, and when you miss that, you can never rewind the clock. You were either there for them, or you weren’t. I’m glad you’re the former.”

“I’ve always made my family a priority, and even through his success, so has Vanare. He’s a good man, and…you must’ve seen that, if you decided to be friends. At any rate, I think it’s Leffle’s bedtime.” Etra shifted with discomfort, gathering a tired Leffle and herding him toward the door. She gestured for me to help, and I hoped she’d seen that Kayla was ordinary; trading snacks and chatting was as good a way to break the ice as any. “One question. What’s it like, when something tastes spicy?”

The human mulled it over, seeming to be at a loss for words. “Other than burning? If you want to know—well, I don’t know if it’s true for Derandi, but birds back on Earth get a spicy sensation from grape flavoring. Perhaps you’d want to see for yourself? You might grow to like it. We can’t be the only masochists out there.”

“I’d love to try it,” I volunteered, rather curious what about that unpleasant sensation would draw someone in. “Once we get some Sol food out to Temura, we’ll film my reaction to that. It’d be a good bit to include on my show.”

“I’d definitely watch you hacking on your own feathers, Vanare. I’d love to be involved with your show—at least to check out the set. Is that something on the travel plans?”

“Most certainly, for my favorite dimension hopper. A behind-the-scenes celebrity tour is the least I could do. Plus, I saved some old episodes of Culinary Island to the TV, since you mentioned wanting to watch them.”

“Screw sleep. I know what I’m bingeing tonight.” Kayla smiled, and gave us a polite wave as she noticed my wife nudging me toward the door. “Good night!”

“Good night!” Leffle called, in a loud, fast, eager chirp. “I like you, Kayla.”

“I like you too, little guy. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, and I know you make your father very proud.”

I offered a loving chirp. “How could I not adore such a beautiful family with all of my being?” 

Etra and I walked side-by-side away from the guest home, steering Leffle back toward the Derandi-sized dwelling. It’d been enchanting to have some simple moments together, giving Kayla a crash course on some of our snack foods. My wife had been open to engaging with the human under controlled circumstances, which was a positive sign; the dimension hoppers at least had a basic level of acceptance from my family. I hoped that this encounter was a sign of positive days to come, showing the real humanity to Temura—and using my show as a platform to do so.

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A/N - 6! Vanare’s curious son, Leffle, wants to spend more time around the super-powerful dimension hopper, and Etra permits it under careful supervision. Vanare’s wife also brings a whole assortment of snacks, which Kayla sifts through and tries out in this chapter, finding some far more pleasant than others; she offers up the tidbit that grape flavoring is spicy to birds on Earth, so it might work as a way to test what the feeling is like.

How do you think Vanare would react to the equivalent of spiciness? Do you think the first interactions with his family have gone well? Will humanity be able to befriend the Derandi in the long run?

As always, thank you for reading and supporting!