Title: Five weird alien trust and bonding rituals
Author: Shenandoah Risu
Rating: PG-13
Content Flags: Ursini galore. 'Nuff said.
Spoilers: SGU Season 2 "Awakening" and "Deliverance"
Characters: David Telford, The Ursini
Word Count: 1009
Summary: Telford can never figure out what the heck it is they're doing there, but it's actually a lot of fun.
Author's Notes: Written for prompt set #132 at the LJ Comm sg1_five_things
Disclaimer: I don't own SGU. I wouldn't know what to do with it. Now, Young... Young I'd know what to do with. ;-)
Thanks for reading! Feedback = Love. ;-)
oOo
Five weird alien trust and bonding rituals
David Telford has been on the Seed Ship for a few days now, largely ignored by the Ursini, and since they don't seem to want to hurt him, eat him or molest him he starts to hang out in their vicinity more and more each day. He's out of powerbars, too, so his first order of business is to find some food.
He notices that every so often the little aliens line up at one of the pods that looks slightly different from the others, more pink, really.
Figuring it's high time for some recon Telford joins in. Immediately the Ursini in front of him turns, bows to him, touches both tips of its feet and scurries around to stand behind him. This makes the next Ursini turn, bow, touch the tips of its feet and scoot in the space behind him which the first Ursini vacates by stepping back.
A major commotion ensues, as they all turn, bow and touch their feet and try to line up again, while he's swiftly worked to the front of the line. Within minutes he's at the pink pod, and he hasn't had a chance to observe what should be done. Then he notices a flashing yellow triangle, reaches out and pushes it gently with his finger. A sharp pinprick makes him jump back. Then a small chute delivers a chunky purple pyramid block into a bowl.
Telford looks around, and all the Ursini touch their feet. He repeats the gesture, picks up the bowl and joins the others sitting nearby.
The block tastes awful and reminds him of those nasty purple sweet potatoes, but it's filling, and he seems to suffer no ill effects.
When he's done he touches both of his shoes and deposits his bowl on a stack next to the pod.
"Always let your guests go first."
oOo
Initially he sleeps on one of the heat vents near the Gate factory section, but it's rather uncomfortable, because while his one side is toasty his other side is freezing.
Finally he goes wandering in search of more appropriate bedding, when one of the Ursini gestures at him to follow, and, having nothing better to do at the moment, he tags along. They've all gathered near the control interface room, each holding a small metal token with a geometric engraving. His Ursini escort hands him a token as well, as they all stare at a big holoscreen on the side of the room. The screen fizzles, then shudders into a pattern. One of the Ursini jumps up with a high-pitched whistle and throws itself face down in the middle of the room. The others make clicking noises – and then they all jump the first one, piling themselves high. Telford stares, until one of them beckons him to join them. He sits down next to the Ursini-pile, and very soon he understands that they're sharing body heat.
A few rest periods later it's his pattern that appears on the screen, and he lies down in the middle of the room, while the others – distinctly more careful – pile on top of him. It's not terribly comfortable (and forget about a middle of the night trip to the loo), but it is quite cozy – like having a dozen purring cats crowd in your bed in the winter.
"He who sleeps in the middle stays nice and warm."
oOo
The Ursini appear to have complex greeting rituals, and try as he might Telford can't figure out how to greet whom – they pretty much all look alike to him, and there seems to be a different greeting between any two Ursini. He tries to watch what they do when they see him, but again, each one of them does something different.
One day he just makes one up in exasperation – he claps his hands, pats his head and makes a circle with thumb and index finger. The Ursini responds by patting his own butt, snapping his fingers and blinking twice. Telford smiles and repeats his series of movements while the Ursini repeats its own. And that's when he notices a tiny identifying nick above the alien's left eye.
He seeks it out some time later, and the greeting still works. Little by little Telford acquires several dozen greetings and makes up an equal number of his own. The Ursini don't seem to mind if he occasionally confuses them, even after quite some time.
"Always be earnest in your greetings – their meaning is fluid anyway."
oOo
One time he catches a few of his new shipmates doing what looks like three-legged races to him. He watches for a while, then Tap-your-chest-and-pull-your-left-thumb and Clamp-your-nose-shut-stick-your-arm-through-the-elbow-and-make-like-an-elephant gesture at him to join them, and together they do a sort of four-legged race, with another dozen Ursini hooting and hollering.
Telford can never figure out what the heck it is they're doing there, but it's actually a lot of fun.
"When with the Ursini..."
oOo
But the weirdest ritual of them all is still the bathroom event. The Ursini must be fantastic resource-users, as he's never observed them eliminate any kind of body waste (he surmises they actually simply exhale it). Lucky for him there are toilets and showers on the Seed Ship, clearly meant for a small staff of technicians accompanying the Seed Ships during an unspecified initial check-out period. The Ursini are fascinated by his efforts to keep himself clean and take a good crap and piss. At first it bothers him that they like to watch, but they soon ritualize these events as well, taking turns as if it was just another communal event on the ship. They hold his toothbrush, hand him his towel and toilet paper, sharpen his blade so he can shave, and test his shower steam for the right temperature.
What he first interpreted as voyeurism is simply their way of incorporating his own daily habits into theirs, and soon it's all a welcome routine.
"It takes a village..."
Years later he occasionally still misses the comfort of their constant companionship.
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Thanks for reading! A comment or feedback would be much appreciated. :)
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