A
Amaryllis
The hallways had been cleaned meticulously since the attack, but the signs of fire damage still lingered in areas, and like a vengeful ghost from that bloody night, Gut-Stripe roamed the hallways. With little need to for a fighter and military commander amongst her fellow I'ee, and her pilots up in space, she had little to do. She was quickly tiring of the hot, sandy planet and its suspicious locals, who still jumped at her whenever she waddled by with her war paint and rapier proudly on display. Did they really think she was going to stab them just because she had her blade out? It made no sense to Gut-Stripe, who snorted at the thought. Finally, as the I'ee commander passed by the entrance to one of the balconies on the second floor, in what looked like a bedroom, she stopped.
For a moment, Gut-Stripe considered the sunlight streaming through. It reminded her of leaving the safety of home for the first time, so she moved out onto the balcony, gazing out across the surrounding city. She snorted again. Ugly city. Ugly, annoying city. Before, she had merely been sick of this place, but now Gutty realised it was worse: She was home-sick. Grumbling, she placed her rapier upon the railing before wandering back and forth along the balcony on all six legs, tracing her antennae along the dusty stone-work. So dusty. So ugly.
Just then Akemi came whizzing by. After giving Gutty a gander he flew up to the balcony to say hello. She sure didn't look like your typical I'ee given her substantial physique and the striking profile she cut out in the sun. As a result he had to investigate. "Hey there buddy, the name 's Koga Akemi," the Neko said as he put his feet on something solid. "How's it going?"
Gut-Stripe, hearing nothing, was caught totally by surprise when she saw something in the corner of her vision whizz by, then up and above to land on the balcony with her. By the time Akemi was standing upon solid ground, she had scrambled around to face him, still on all six legs. Her jaws were angled upwards at him, mandibles spread wide, giving her a rather feral look. Then, the I'ee let out a huff, her abdomen bobbing from the vocalisation, and stood up straight. She wore no mask like the Ee'ith, but the markings painted on her body were quite intricate. "Do not startle me," Gut-Stripe spoke. "I do not like it." She did not say her own name, instead walking past Akemi to retrieve her rapier, which she held casually in her claws. "Is there something you want?" the I'ee spoke again, turning back to face him.
"Well maybe you should stop striking majestic poses in romantic places." Akemi naturally found the massive mandibles somewhat intimidating but seeing how meaty her limbs were he was only spurred on to utter the first request that came to mind. "I'd like a hug."
While Akemi's initial inflammatory words only seemed to fly over the I'ee's head, his request gave her great confusion. "A... hug?" Gut-Stripe repeated, shifting from one foot to another. "Who are you?"
Akemi sure hoped Gutty wasn't going to pull a Penelope on him in a moment. "I'm one of Uso's people. A partner of hers, not some underling." As he spoke he crossed his arms.
"A partner?" the I'ee tilted her head slightly to one side. "I have not seen you before. But... you are similar to Uso, so I cannot say I am surprised to hear it."
"And I sure haven't seen you before," Akemi countered. "I've only seen cute baby I'ee like Sammy. So can I get one?"
"You have met Sammy?", she asked, sounding almost offended at Sammy being called a 'baby', though for different reasons than might be expected. "He is not an infant. There are no infant I'ee here."
"Well I mean all I've seen are small ones like him. He might be taller but you've clearly got more heft to you." Akemi extended his arms sideways and held his palms open. He liked how the gesture worked as a shrug and a way of showing a harmless, open minded demeanor while also making him wonder in amusement if the insectoids were so hardwired for hugs such poses might appeal to Gutty's base instincts in a hypnotizing way.
For a few, long moments, Gut-Stripe simply stared silently at the Neko, her emotions unreadable unlike Sammy and his siblings. "Why are you asking me for a hug?" she finally asked.
"I think the real question is why I wouldn't be asking for one." Akemi crossed his arms again as if he'd just been asked something stupid and insincere to stall for time. "You're obviously built to give them. Just look at those meaty limbs."
Again, there was a long pause. "You... are not like Uso," Gut-Stripe finally said, apparently coming to some sort of conclusion. "You are more bizarre than Uso. Please stop being strange near me."
Akemi rolled his eyes and smiled while tilting his head to the side. "Buddy, look who's talking. You're an adorable giant insectoid I'ee and you don't want a hug. Sammy fucking loved them."
"Yes, Sammy enjoys hugs," she affirmed. "But not even he asks me for one. Why do you want a hug from me? And do not answer me strangely, or you won't ever get one from me."
Akemi decided he'd merely try continuing to be simple, direct and honest even though it had failed him so far. It didn't feel like he had much of a choice. "Because you look like you'd be nice to hug, I thought you'd like one and now that you said he doesn't try to hug you I'm worried you don't get any and I want to try hugging someone he and his friends haven't."
Another long pause. It looked like Gut-Stripe again was not pleased with his answer, until she approached, toddling up to Akemi and wrapping four arms around him. Rather awkwardly, she still held her rapier, and he could feel the flat of its blade on his clothing. "I... I like hugs." the I'ee said, her voice projected at a lower volume.
"So do I," Akemi replied, happily leaning into the embrace and purring loudly as he wrapped his arms around her. He tenderly stroked her back with one hand the way he found worked best with Sammy. "Yours is nice. Why don't you get them?"
"Not enough family here with me. My sisters are busy in orbit." she answered, still at a quieter volume, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. Her face pressed gently into his chest, stroking her antennae over his clothes to feel the texture before letting them go still again.
The Neko started rubbing Gutty with both hands and slowly swayed his body the way Sammy liked. He even rested his head on the giant wasp and carefully caressed her with his cheek. "Well can't any I'ee give any other one hugs? What's stopping you from asking others and them from asking you?"
Gut-Stripe tensed when she felt and saw Akemi's cheek lowering to rest on the top of her head, taking a few moments to observe before relaxing again. The only answer she provided to his questions was a snort.
"I'll hug you as much as you want whenever you want." Akemi figured it was best not to push the issue when he had such a good thing going. He could always ask Sammy to illuminate the issue. "I'll even put my legs into it if you'd like. I don't know if I can measure up to your sisters though."
Again, the I'ee said nothing, but seeing that she didn't pull away or bite him, she was simply content to cuddle up against him for now. She didn't seem to want to talk, as she gave only non-commital replies to attempts at conversation.
After holding his position for a while Akemi decided to spice things up by using gravity control to gently raise his legs so he could wrap them around the big shy insect as well. Hopefully it wouldn't freak her out. He was just being more like them.
Initially, it seemed to confuse Gut-Stripe, who glanced to and fro, seeing Akemi levitating. She quickly shrugged it off, though, finding it hard to be surprised anymore.
Akemi made a mental note to explain to Sammy how very much Gutty was in need of what presumably all of his buddies enjoyed so much. "So, what would it take to become one of your sisters?" The space kitten amused himself with the cockiness of his own question as he wondered how I'ee families worked. Would they be easier or harder to get into than the families of nobles native to the land?
The I'ee raised her head slightly to get a better look at him, puzzled by his question. "What?", she asked.
"Can I be your sister?" the Neko asked with a slow, smooth delivery, a massive smile on his lips and a gleeful glimmer in his eyes.
Again, there was a pause. "...Why? You are being strange again."
Akemi leaned back to show his seriousness by putting some distance between their faces. "Well it sounds like you'd like more of them here and I'd love to have a sweet little creature like you as family, especially when you look so impressive with your sword. I've never had any siblings of my own."
"But you are not I'ee. You are not of my family. You are not Thi-Thi." Gut-stripe stated. "And... I believe you are male, not female, am I correct?"
"I'm a guy, but I can always be your spiritual sister." Akemi was quite pleased he'd only confused Gutty and not angered her. "Do you never adopt from other families or species?"
"No. Why would we?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Akemi decided to answer the question with one of his own. "Well what if someone was so good and loyal to you you wanted to treat them as more than friends but they weren't your kind?"
"I have yet to meet an alien with that quality." Gut-Stripe replied, shifting position so as to cling onto Akemi with all six legs.
Akemi suddenly thought he had a brilliant idea. "If people knew it was possible to be considered that close to you I bet you'd be more likely to find someone like that. If you keep others at a distance they're likely to do the same with you."
Those words left Gut-Stripe in thought for a few moments, her legs gently squeezing him one pair at a time. "That makes sense, I suppose," the I'ee mused finally.
The wheels in Akemi's head continued to turn as he gently stroked the length of the giant wasp's thorax. "That wouldn't just give you more opportunities to meet better people and make stronger relationships. It'd also help with how everyone sees your kind. Have you ever had people reject you based on how you look?"
"Inter-species relations are the business of Ee'ith," Gut-Stripe answered with a derisive snort. "This advice would better serve Sammy, not myself. My only immediate concern here is to bring weapons and training back to Ee'ee."
The Neko only smiled again at the snort. "Well it's advice that would greatly help you do things like that. How much would you trust Sammy with your tasks?"
"Not at all," Gut-Stripe said, letting out an odd-sounding, sneezing laugh. "Ee'ith are all feeble-minded. They put strangers ahead of their own relatives, and would barter away their own siblings to receive the eye of those they revere so."
"Isn't your ability to obtain weapons and training dependent on the state of inter-species relations and individual relations?" Akemi was glad it seemed like he could be genuinely helpful while potentially getting something he wanted in the process.
"Yes. That is why we tolerate Ee'ith." Gut-Stripe answered dismissively, pressing her face back into Akemi's chest.
"Well why would you leave something so important entirely up to the feeble-minded?" Akemi asked feeling genuinely sorry for the great loss of potential he seemed to be hearing. "Even if someone like Sammy does a great job if people don't like you and your family specifically your mission could end in failure or achieve much less than if you tried to do some of what they did in a respectable manner."
"That is irrelevant," she said. "My family is not the 'face' of the I'ee to alien species. My family defends the I'ee from aliens like yourself. If we appear unrelatable, then it is well. As for this mission, it has been proceeding well, as far as I am concerned."
Clearly this was going to be harder than Akemi first thought. "Shouldn't your people also be represented by some proud, dignified warriors like yourself outside of military matters? Wouldn't you want to be able to increase your options when it came to alliances and improve their strength through marriage?"
"Warriors are for military matters," Gut-Stripe replied, sounding almost rehearsed. "And I am not familiar with 'marriage'."
The little star man was surprised Gutty hadn't shoved off him long ago given how much he'd been challenging her views. It sure seemed like she was fit to fill Sammy's role when she had such patience in the face of what she could easily find insulting. "But good general relations prevent and win wars so aren't they a military matter? Other species need to see your people are respectable and not only cuddly. As for marriage," Akemi loved how he first had to explain personal space and now this, "it's when two or more people become family and combine families. Throughout history leaders have married outside their original families and species to secure alliances and do what was impossible on their own."
"That... is an odd concept. I do see why a war would exist when it could be won without violence," Gut-Stripe spoke, shifting position in his arms again. "And as for marriage... I would prefer that remain an... alien oddity."
Akemi was really getting a mental workout here and many certainly wouldn't expect a I'ee to be the source of one. "Well if you never let other species join your families it'll be harder for them to understand and get used to you and trust you and easier for them to see you as an enemy because of your differences in appearance."
The I'ee in his arms let out another derisive, snorting laugh. "I have already expressed my contempt for the feeble-minded, Yamataian," she answered. "We do not need what should simply be friends to become so insidiously close to family. To ignore our differences is stupid, and that is what the Ee'ith do. We are not family because we are different; you may become my friend, but we will never be siblings."
"That kind of thinking will lead to preventable wars," Akemi warned. He never minded the laughs because he was much happier to hear Gutty sounding amused even if it was at his own expense than possibly angry. "If you never allow other species to enter your families people will think you think they're inferior and some will try to convince everyone your differences are bad and that you're inferior and worth conquering. They'll even try to say you should be exterminated. You don't want anyone treating you the way the Mishhu do if you can stop it right?"
Again, Gut-Stripe snorted. "It is not our own fault if people have such flawed logic. We would all be too busy laughing to fight such a stupid war, in any case," the I'ee climbed up a little higher, resting her jaws just below Akemi's neck. "The Misshuvarthyar are monsters, but they, though I hate to say it, have a purity in the way they prey upon us. I have studied their defeats at the hands of Yamatai. It is only natural for them to prey upon us, because we are less capable of defending ourselves. If there exists those who would possess such vanity to destroy us for simply wishing to keep to ourselves, then I would only find amusement in watching them flounder dumbly through the senseless carnage they bring with them."
"An enemy attacking you because of your differences doesn't mean it's stupid. Even if it is it could still be good at fighting like the Mishhu." As Akemi spoke he began stroking Gutty's feelers and the area around them thinking he should try mixing things up. He wondered if all you had to do to get a I'ee to listen to you for as long as you wanted was to hug it the entire time you talked. "They're stupid in that they could choose to leave everyone alone or try to coexist but they largely don't yet you just said they're more capable than you militarily. It's only natural species looking to conquer others will make targets of the ones who insist on drawing lines based on differences. You'll make things easier for them. Your differences will be used as an excuse to justify a war against you to their feeble-minded worker drone citizenry."
"An enemy attacking us because of our differences is stupid. This is not contestible." Gut-Stripe replied, her antennae lazily twitching and stroking back at Akemi's hands. "To make war without passion is soulless. Without familiarity, there is no passion. The soulless deserve none of our respect, and they would receive none."
Akemi was getting tempted to tie the feelers in a big bow. "And I'm saying stupid people can still be good at war and the people in charge don't have to be stupid, they can just take advantage of the stupid people in their society. Their real reasons can be logical like to gain more resources and power. If you had the ability to make deeper interspecies relations you could avoid others attacking you or even get them to ally with you and share in their profits from war."
"We do not want to associate with fools. I've made my position on this matter abundantly clear." the I'ee replied, apparently finished with this particular topic of discussion. Her antennae continued their gentle probing of Akemi's hands, before settling back into their resting position.
"Then what would you like to talk about sister?" Akemi asked mischievously with another big grin.
Gut-Stripe stiffened at the use of the word 'sister'. "I am not your sister." she answered.
"Sure you are," Akemi replied as he began to rub around the wasp's mandibles and what humans would call cheeks. "You might not think of me as one but I can still treat you like one."
There was a long silence as Gut-Stripe stared up at him. "I am not comfortable with that." she finally stated.
"Why not?" For all the harshness of Gutty's words and noises Akemi could see she was awfully tolerant just like Sammy. "A sister like you can get all the hugs and pets she wants."
The I'ee let out a huff, squirming uncomfortably in Akemi's arms. "Because I do not want it," she replied. "Please stop your efforts to join my family."
Akemi giggled at the wiggling. "But I'm not trying to make myself part of yours. I'm making you part of mine. I don't have any family so now you're my only sibling."
"I don't want to be a part of your family. Please let me down now." Gut-Stripe replied, trying to untangle herself from Akemi's grasp.
"Am I being too insidious for you?" the space kitten asked. He unclenched his legs as requested and continued to pet whatever he could get at.
Gut-Stripe set her feet back down on the floor, pushing Akemi firmly away until the two were separated. "I had already made my feelings on the topic of family clear," she explained. "Your persistence is off-putting. I would like to be on my way now."
Akemi huffed back and stood up to cross his arms and strike an irritated pose. "What's your sword made of?"
"I do not wish to speak to you any longer at this moment." Gut-Stripe replied, already walking back into the palace with her rapier in hand. "The hug was pleasant, Yamataian."
"Will you at least tell me your name?" he asked, staying where he was and calling out to her.
The I'ee paused to reply, turning her head slightly so that one of her glossy compound eyes was directed at Akemi. "I do not have a name as such. Not like the Ee'ith do," she said. "But the... description given to me by my siblings is 'Gut-Stripe'. You may use that as a name to call me by." Without waiting for a reply, the I'ee waddled onwards, soon moving out of sight.
I will make that giant thing call me its sister, Akemi thought as he turned to fly off in search of another interesting person to meet.
For a moment, Gut-Stripe considered the sunlight streaming through. It reminded her of leaving the safety of home for the first time, so she moved out onto the balcony, gazing out across the surrounding city. She snorted again. Ugly city. Ugly, annoying city. Before, she had merely been sick of this place, but now Gutty realised it was worse: She was home-sick. Grumbling, she placed her rapier upon the railing before wandering back and forth along the balcony on all six legs, tracing her antennae along the dusty stone-work. So dusty. So ugly.
Just then Akemi came whizzing by. After giving Gutty a gander he flew up to the balcony to say hello. She sure didn't look like your typical I'ee given her substantial physique and the striking profile she cut out in the sun. As a result he had to investigate. "Hey there buddy, the name 's Koga Akemi," the Neko said as he put his feet on something solid. "How's it going?"
Gut-Stripe, hearing nothing, was caught totally by surprise when she saw something in the corner of her vision whizz by, then up and above to land on the balcony with her. By the time Akemi was standing upon solid ground, she had scrambled around to face him, still on all six legs. Her jaws were angled upwards at him, mandibles spread wide, giving her a rather feral look. Then, the I'ee let out a huff, her abdomen bobbing from the vocalisation, and stood up straight. She wore no mask like the Ee'ith, but the markings painted on her body were quite intricate. "Do not startle me," Gut-Stripe spoke. "I do not like it." She did not say her own name, instead walking past Akemi to retrieve her rapier, which she held casually in her claws. "Is there something you want?" the I'ee spoke again, turning back to face him.
"Well maybe you should stop striking majestic poses in romantic places." Akemi naturally found the massive mandibles somewhat intimidating but seeing how meaty her limbs were he was only spurred on to utter the first request that came to mind. "I'd like a hug."
While Akemi's initial inflammatory words only seemed to fly over the I'ee's head, his request gave her great confusion. "A... hug?" Gut-Stripe repeated, shifting from one foot to another. "Who are you?"
Akemi sure hoped Gutty wasn't going to pull a Penelope on him in a moment. "I'm one of Uso's people. A partner of hers, not some underling." As he spoke he crossed his arms.
"A partner?" the I'ee tilted her head slightly to one side. "I have not seen you before. But... you are similar to Uso, so I cannot say I am surprised to hear it."
"And I sure haven't seen you before," Akemi countered. "I've only seen cute baby I'ee like Sammy. So can I get one?"
"You have met Sammy?", she asked, sounding almost offended at Sammy being called a 'baby', though for different reasons than might be expected. "He is not an infant. There are no infant I'ee here."
"Well I mean all I've seen are small ones like him. He might be taller but you've clearly got more heft to you." Akemi extended his arms sideways and held his palms open. He liked how the gesture worked as a shrug and a way of showing a harmless, open minded demeanor while also making him wonder in amusement if the insectoids were so hardwired for hugs such poses might appeal to Gutty's base instincts in a hypnotizing way.
For a few, long moments, Gut-Stripe simply stared silently at the Neko, her emotions unreadable unlike Sammy and his siblings. "Why are you asking me for a hug?" she finally asked.
"I think the real question is why I wouldn't be asking for one." Akemi crossed his arms again as if he'd just been asked something stupid and insincere to stall for time. "You're obviously built to give them. Just look at those meaty limbs."
Again, there was a long pause. "You... are not like Uso," Gut-Stripe finally said, apparently coming to some sort of conclusion. "You are more bizarre than Uso. Please stop being strange near me."
Akemi rolled his eyes and smiled while tilting his head to the side. "Buddy, look who's talking. You're an adorable giant insectoid I'ee and you don't want a hug. Sammy fucking loved them."
"Yes, Sammy enjoys hugs," she affirmed. "But not even he asks me for one. Why do you want a hug from me? And do not answer me strangely, or you won't ever get one from me."
Akemi decided he'd merely try continuing to be simple, direct and honest even though it had failed him so far. It didn't feel like he had much of a choice. "Because you look like you'd be nice to hug, I thought you'd like one and now that you said he doesn't try to hug you I'm worried you don't get any and I want to try hugging someone he and his friends haven't."
Another long pause. It looked like Gut-Stripe again was not pleased with his answer, until she approached, toddling up to Akemi and wrapping four arms around him. Rather awkwardly, she still held her rapier, and he could feel the flat of its blade on his clothing. "I... I like hugs." the I'ee said, her voice projected at a lower volume.
"So do I," Akemi replied, happily leaning into the embrace and purring loudly as he wrapped his arms around her. He tenderly stroked her back with one hand the way he found worked best with Sammy. "Yours is nice. Why don't you get them?"
"Not enough family here with me. My sisters are busy in orbit." she answered, still at a quieter volume, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear. Her face pressed gently into his chest, stroking her antennae over his clothes to feel the texture before letting them go still again.
The Neko started rubbing Gutty with both hands and slowly swayed his body the way Sammy liked. He even rested his head on the giant wasp and carefully caressed her with his cheek. "Well can't any I'ee give any other one hugs? What's stopping you from asking others and them from asking you?"
Gut-Stripe tensed when she felt and saw Akemi's cheek lowering to rest on the top of her head, taking a few moments to observe before relaxing again. The only answer she provided to his questions was a snort.
"I'll hug you as much as you want whenever you want." Akemi figured it was best not to push the issue when he had such a good thing going. He could always ask Sammy to illuminate the issue. "I'll even put my legs into it if you'd like. I don't know if I can measure up to your sisters though."
Again, the I'ee said nothing, but seeing that she didn't pull away or bite him, she was simply content to cuddle up against him for now. She didn't seem to want to talk, as she gave only non-commital replies to attempts at conversation.
After holding his position for a while Akemi decided to spice things up by using gravity control to gently raise his legs so he could wrap them around the big shy insect as well. Hopefully it wouldn't freak her out. He was just being more like them.
Initially, it seemed to confuse Gut-Stripe, who glanced to and fro, seeing Akemi levitating. She quickly shrugged it off, though, finding it hard to be surprised anymore.
Akemi made a mental note to explain to Sammy how very much Gutty was in need of what presumably all of his buddies enjoyed so much. "So, what would it take to become one of your sisters?" The space kitten amused himself with the cockiness of his own question as he wondered how I'ee families worked. Would they be easier or harder to get into than the families of nobles native to the land?
The I'ee raised her head slightly to get a better look at him, puzzled by his question. "What?", she asked.
"Can I be your sister?" the Neko asked with a slow, smooth delivery, a massive smile on his lips and a gleeful glimmer in his eyes.
Again, there was a pause. "...Why? You are being strange again."
Akemi leaned back to show his seriousness by putting some distance between their faces. "Well it sounds like you'd like more of them here and I'd love to have a sweet little creature like you as family, especially when you look so impressive with your sword. I've never had any siblings of my own."
"But you are not I'ee. You are not of my family. You are not Thi-Thi." Gut-stripe stated. "And... I believe you are male, not female, am I correct?"
"I'm a guy, but I can always be your spiritual sister." Akemi was quite pleased he'd only confused Gutty and not angered her. "Do you never adopt from other families or species?"
"No. Why would we?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
Akemi decided to answer the question with one of his own. "Well what if someone was so good and loyal to you you wanted to treat them as more than friends but they weren't your kind?"
"I have yet to meet an alien with that quality." Gut-Stripe replied, shifting position so as to cling onto Akemi with all six legs.
Akemi suddenly thought he had a brilliant idea. "If people knew it was possible to be considered that close to you I bet you'd be more likely to find someone like that. If you keep others at a distance they're likely to do the same with you."
Those words left Gut-Stripe in thought for a few moments, her legs gently squeezing him one pair at a time. "That makes sense, I suppose," the I'ee mused finally.
The wheels in Akemi's head continued to turn as he gently stroked the length of the giant wasp's thorax. "That wouldn't just give you more opportunities to meet better people and make stronger relationships. It'd also help with how everyone sees your kind. Have you ever had people reject you based on how you look?"
"Inter-species relations are the business of Ee'ith," Gut-Stripe answered with a derisive snort. "This advice would better serve Sammy, not myself. My only immediate concern here is to bring weapons and training back to Ee'ee."
The Neko only smiled again at the snort. "Well it's advice that would greatly help you do things like that. How much would you trust Sammy with your tasks?"
"Not at all," Gut-Stripe said, letting out an odd-sounding, sneezing laugh. "Ee'ith are all feeble-minded. They put strangers ahead of their own relatives, and would barter away their own siblings to receive the eye of those they revere so."
"Isn't your ability to obtain weapons and training dependent on the state of inter-species relations and individual relations?" Akemi was glad it seemed like he could be genuinely helpful while potentially getting something he wanted in the process.
"Yes. That is why we tolerate Ee'ith." Gut-Stripe answered dismissively, pressing her face back into Akemi's chest.
"Well why would you leave something so important entirely up to the feeble-minded?" Akemi asked feeling genuinely sorry for the great loss of potential he seemed to be hearing. "Even if someone like Sammy does a great job if people don't like you and your family specifically your mission could end in failure or achieve much less than if you tried to do some of what they did in a respectable manner."
"That is irrelevant," she said. "My family is not the 'face' of the I'ee to alien species. My family defends the I'ee from aliens like yourself. If we appear unrelatable, then it is well. As for this mission, it has been proceeding well, as far as I am concerned."
Clearly this was going to be harder than Akemi first thought. "Shouldn't your people also be represented by some proud, dignified warriors like yourself outside of military matters? Wouldn't you want to be able to increase your options when it came to alliances and improve their strength through marriage?"
"Warriors are for military matters," Gut-Stripe replied, sounding almost rehearsed. "And I am not familiar with 'marriage'."
The little star man was surprised Gutty hadn't shoved off him long ago given how much he'd been challenging her views. It sure seemed like she was fit to fill Sammy's role when she had such patience in the face of what she could easily find insulting. "But good general relations prevent and win wars so aren't they a military matter? Other species need to see your people are respectable and not only cuddly. As for marriage," Akemi loved how he first had to explain personal space and now this, "it's when two or more people become family and combine families. Throughout history leaders have married outside their original families and species to secure alliances and do what was impossible on their own."
"That... is an odd concept. I do see why a war would exist when it could be won without violence," Gut-Stripe spoke, shifting position in his arms again. "And as for marriage... I would prefer that remain an... alien oddity."
Akemi was really getting a mental workout here and many certainly wouldn't expect a I'ee to be the source of one. "Well if you never let other species join your families it'll be harder for them to understand and get used to you and trust you and easier for them to see you as an enemy because of your differences in appearance."
The I'ee in his arms let out another derisive, snorting laugh. "I have already expressed my contempt for the feeble-minded, Yamataian," she answered. "We do not need what should simply be friends to become so insidiously close to family. To ignore our differences is stupid, and that is what the Ee'ith do. We are not family because we are different; you may become my friend, but we will never be siblings."
"That kind of thinking will lead to preventable wars," Akemi warned. He never minded the laughs because he was much happier to hear Gutty sounding amused even if it was at his own expense than possibly angry. "If you never allow other species to enter your families people will think you think they're inferior and some will try to convince everyone your differences are bad and that you're inferior and worth conquering. They'll even try to say you should be exterminated. You don't want anyone treating you the way the Mishhu do if you can stop it right?"
Again, Gut-Stripe snorted. "It is not our own fault if people have such flawed logic. We would all be too busy laughing to fight such a stupid war, in any case," the I'ee climbed up a little higher, resting her jaws just below Akemi's neck. "The Misshuvarthyar are monsters, but they, though I hate to say it, have a purity in the way they prey upon us. I have studied their defeats at the hands of Yamatai. It is only natural for them to prey upon us, because we are less capable of defending ourselves. If there exists those who would possess such vanity to destroy us for simply wishing to keep to ourselves, then I would only find amusement in watching them flounder dumbly through the senseless carnage they bring with them."
"An enemy attacking you because of your differences doesn't mean it's stupid. Even if it is it could still be good at fighting like the Mishhu." As Akemi spoke he began stroking Gutty's feelers and the area around them thinking he should try mixing things up. He wondered if all you had to do to get a I'ee to listen to you for as long as you wanted was to hug it the entire time you talked. "They're stupid in that they could choose to leave everyone alone or try to coexist but they largely don't yet you just said they're more capable than you militarily. It's only natural species looking to conquer others will make targets of the ones who insist on drawing lines based on differences. You'll make things easier for them. Your differences will be used as an excuse to justify a war against you to their feeble-minded worker drone citizenry."
"An enemy attacking us because of our differences is stupid. This is not contestible." Gut-Stripe replied, her antennae lazily twitching and stroking back at Akemi's hands. "To make war without passion is soulless. Without familiarity, there is no passion. The soulless deserve none of our respect, and they would receive none."
Akemi was getting tempted to tie the feelers in a big bow. "And I'm saying stupid people can still be good at war and the people in charge don't have to be stupid, they can just take advantage of the stupid people in their society. Their real reasons can be logical like to gain more resources and power. If you had the ability to make deeper interspecies relations you could avoid others attacking you or even get them to ally with you and share in their profits from war."
"We do not want to associate with fools. I've made my position on this matter abundantly clear." the I'ee replied, apparently finished with this particular topic of discussion. Her antennae continued their gentle probing of Akemi's hands, before settling back into their resting position.
"Then what would you like to talk about sister?" Akemi asked mischievously with another big grin.
Gut-Stripe stiffened at the use of the word 'sister'. "I am not your sister." she answered.
"Sure you are," Akemi replied as he began to rub around the wasp's mandibles and what humans would call cheeks. "You might not think of me as one but I can still treat you like one."
There was a long silence as Gut-Stripe stared up at him. "I am not comfortable with that." she finally stated.
"Why not?" For all the harshness of Gutty's words and noises Akemi could see she was awfully tolerant just like Sammy. "A sister like you can get all the hugs and pets she wants."
The I'ee let out a huff, squirming uncomfortably in Akemi's arms. "Because I do not want it," she replied. "Please stop your efforts to join my family."
Akemi giggled at the wiggling. "But I'm not trying to make myself part of yours. I'm making you part of mine. I don't have any family so now you're my only sibling."
"I don't want to be a part of your family. Please let me down now." Gut-Stripe replied, trying to untangle herself from Akemi's grasp.
"Am I being too insidious for you?" the space kitten asked. He unclenched his legs as requested and continued to pet whatever he could get at.
Gut-Stripe set her feet back down on the floor, pushing Akemi firmly away until the two were separated. "I had already made my feelings on the topic of family clear," she explained. "Your persistence is off-putting. I would like to be on my way now."
Akemi huffed back and stood up to cross his arms and strike an irritated pose. "What's your sword made of?"
"I do not wish to speak to you any longer at this moment." Gut-Stripe replied, already walking back into the palace with her rapier in hand. "The hug was pleasant, Yamataian."
"Will you at least tell me your name?" he asked, staying where he was and calling out to her.
The I'ee paused to reply, turning her head slightly so that one of her glossy compound eyes was directed at Akemi. "I do not have a name as such. Not like the Ee'ith do," she said. "But the... description given to me by my siblings is 'Gut-Stripe'. You may use that as a name to call me by." Without waiting for a reply, the I'ee waddled onwards, soon moving out of sight.
I will make that giant thing call me its sister, Akemi thought as he turned to fly off in search of another interesting person to meet.
