The animals on this planet were immensely cute, but surprisingly aggressive even if they were mostly harmless to even a level 1 or 2 havenworlder, and almost completely harmless to most deathworlders. The colonists carefully guarded this place against dereggers who decided these fierce little feisties would be the new "must-have pet". And they were not subtle about their protection of this world against such behaviors.
@internutter/challenge-02287-f097-it-was-not-effective -- Anon Guest
They were eventually named Fizzgigs after a fantastic creature from Pre-Shattering Terran media. Advertised as "forty pounds of hostility in a three-ounce bag". They were fluffy, and adorable, and eternally pissed-off at the larger portion of the universe.
They were happily fructivorous and eventually tameable. Even their kits were little savages. So of course the Humans had to have them.
There was a rather intense breeding program to make sure the biota of Elysi'ish remained undisturbed. The ones released to the Alliance were bred pets. In the middle of attempted domestication. It was still touch and go regarding whether those efforts had made any progress.
Non-Deathworlder citizens of the Alliance were completely baffled by it all. One example was Companion Grox as he was visiting Human Varg's habitat. A majority of which had become a habitat for hir new pet: Gorgeous the Fizzgig.
There were overhead walkways. There were lounging bubbles. There were hiding boxes. There were scratching posts. There was a hot rock and a cold plate.
Gorgeous was only visible as a pair of yellow, luminous eyes in the shadows of a hiding box. It voiced a whirring noise of warning when Grox peeked in.
"They're still getting used to the place," breezed Varg as ze carefully sliced fruit into a little plate. It was shaped and painted to resemble a bunch of grapes. "Plus I think they're hangry."
Grox watched in morbid curiosity as Varg carefully placed the plate within easy reach of the creature in the box. Which swiped a tiny paw at Varg's hand.
Varg thought this was amusing, and chirped out a cooing trill. Ze batted at the flailing paw with two fingers. "You little silly."
The growling continued after that paw dragged the dish into their box. Only partially interrupted by the sounds of aggressive mastication.
"This... creature is very hostile," noted Grox.
"They'll warm up. This is all new to them and they're still a kit. Right, Gorgeous?"
Growl, snarl, whirrrrr...
"Yeah, you love me," grinned Varg, in spite of all evidence to the contrary.
"All they do is attempt to hurt you. Is the cuteness factor that much of a balance?"
"Oh yeah," said Varg. "I used to be owned by cats. This is actually easier."
[Photo by Akin Cakiner on Unsplash]
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