Humans are Weird - Hungry
The air tasted warm as First Sister paused in the massive human doorway with its harsh, ninety-degree angles. Outside the sun was setting and sending the last orange rays over the humans’s crop pastures. The light fell against the vertical shades of the broad front porch with its last energy casting a rather pleasing lattice of shadows on the wall of the humans’ deadwood hive. First Sister gave her frill a flap in an absent attempt to cool herself and stepped out onto the porch with a little shiver. The porch itself felt safe, with its clutter of gardening tools, child’s toys, and mysterious items shaped for human hands or human eyes. However the wide empty pastures that sloped gently up to the sand dunes of the beach were something that First Sister could never quite get used to. She understood from her lessons that humans liked, even needed ‘wide open spaces’ as defined by distances far enough to make it difficult to see another human without obstruction, but the searing light of the day and the forceful winds of the night made it terrifying to her.
She eased down onto something that looked sort of like a couch and resumed the simple weaving project she had brought with her when somewhat to her surprise the familiar tread of Human Second Mother approached from within the house. First Sister sprang up and prepared to greet her but Human Second Mother burst out of the door and swept around her, apparently utterly focused on reaching the secure bin that stored the tuber vegetables this hive used on a daily basis. First Sister watched, somewhat perplexed at the intensity in Human Second Mother’s face as she glared down at the tubers, selected a handful of bright purple ones, and rather more forcefully than was needed, reached down and snatched them out. Then, instead of taking them into the kitchen to prepare Human Second Mother brought the tubers up to her mouth and simply bit off a large chunk and started chewing. Her body language instantly changed, the tightness in the skin around her face relaxed, her fingers uncurled slightly, she stood taller and easier as if the bite had relived some distress. The crunching sound filled the porch as Human Second mother let her gaze wander out across the ‘wide open spaces’.
First Sister continued to watch in fascination as Human Second Mother ate an entire raw tuber. First Sister was not entirely certain that the tubers were indigestible to humans raw, but she knew that it was highly unusual for these humans to eat them raw in any mass. After finishing the first tuber, which was easily the size and mass of First Sister’s arm, Human Second mother frowned thoughtfully at the second tuber, gave a low grunt, and took another bite, less frantically than she had before. She glanced over at First Sister and smiled.
“Hey Kid,” she said turning to angle back through the door.
It seemed to be a general greeting, backed up by Human Second Mother idly reaching up to pat First Sister’s head between her antenna, so it didn’t require a reply. First Sister wondered at what she had just seen, but as no explanation seemed likely she turned her attention back to her weaving and the sunset. Eventually the artificial lights on the porch switched on and the sound of Human Friend Betty returning from the beach with Human First Sister drifted up the path. They greeted her joyfully, surprised at her presence, and the three of them entered the house together talking of the swimming conditions on the local beach. The humans decided to stay in their saltwater-soaked clothes until had hydrated and they sat down around the large preparation table in the kitchen to drink some acidic fruit juice. It was more than pleasant with the air rapidly cooling, the sounds of the night drifting in through the still open door, and the exotic taste of the juice. However First Sister stopped talking as she observed Human Second Mother pace by in that same, tense focused way, open the cold storage in the kitchen, and outright scowl at the contents before reaching in and removing several avian eggs. The adult human quickly cracked the shells, revealing the insides had been solidified through boiling, then proceed to eat the eggs with that same quick intensity she had applied to the tubers.
“What’cha looking at First?” Human First Sister asked.
“Is there something wrong with Human Second Mother?” First Sister asked, feeling her antenna curl in concern.
“Mom?” Human Second Cousin Betty asked, glancing after the retreating back of her mother. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”
First Sister explained the behavior she had observed and Human Second Cousin Betty seemed as perplexed as she did, however the older Human First Sister only nodded in confident understanding. By the time First Sister was done Human First Sister was clearly wanting to say something.
“Hormones!” Human First Sister said with final firm nod.
“What does that even mean?” Human Second Cousin Betty demanded with an irritated frown.
“Oh,” Human First Sister’s face contorted in something between and grimace of pain and a smug smile, “you’ll understand in a few years. Don’t you worry.”
“I’m not worried!” Human Second Cousin Betty insisted.
“What specific aspect of her hormones resulted in her eating so much?” First Sister quickly cut in to avoid a cousin argument.
“Its just that time of her cycle,” Human First Sister said with a wave of her hand. “Happens to all of us, eventually. You get one day where they hungry just won’t stop and nothing really satisfies it, but it’ll stop by tomorrow.”
“It’s a mammal moon cycle thing,” Human Second Cousin Betty offered when First Sister didn’t uncurl her confused antenna.
The conversation turned there as they had finished drinking and wanted to seek privacy to change out of their swimming clothes. First Sister waited for them at the table mulling over whether this strange food scavenging behavior was worth further investigation.
She eased down onto something that looked sort of like a couch and resumed the simple weaving project she had brought with her when somewhat to her surprise the familiar tread of Human Second Mother approached from within the house. First Sister sprang up and prepared to greet her but Human Second Mother burst out of the door and swept around her, apparently utterly focused on reaching the secure bin that stored the tuber vegetables this hive used on a daily basis. First Sister watched, somewhat perplexed at the intensity in Human Second Mother’s face as she glared down at the tubers, selected a handful of bright purple ones, and rather more forcefully than was needed, reached down and snatched them out. Then, instead of taking them into the kitchen to prepare Human Second Mother brought the tubers up to her mouth and simply bit off a large chunk and started chewing. Her body language instantly changed, the tightness in the skin around her face relaxed, her fingers uncurled slightly, she stood taller and easier as if the bite had relived some distress. The crunching sound filled the porch as Human Second mother let her gaze wander out across the ‘wide open spaces’.
First Sister continued to watch in fascination as Human Second Mother ate an entire raw tuber. First Sister was not entirely certain that the tubers were indigestible to humans raw, but she knew that it was highly unusual for these humans to eat them raw in any mass. After finishing the first tuber, which was easily the size and mass of First Sister’s arm, Human Second mother frowned thoughtfully at the second tuber, gave a low grunt, and took another bite, less frantically than she had before. She glanced over at First Sister and smiled.
“Hey Kid,” she said turning to angle back through the door.
It seemed to be a general greeting, backed up by Human Second Mother idly reaching up to pat First Sister’s head between her antenna, so it didn’t require a reply. First Sister wondered at what she had just seen, but as no explanation seemed likely she turned her attention back to her weaving and the sunset. Eventually the artificial lights on the porch switched on and the sound of Human Friend Betty returning from the beach with Human First Sister drifted up the path. They greeted her joyfully, surprised at her presence, and the three of them entered the house together talking of the swimming conditions on the local beach. The humans decided to stay in their saltwater-soaked clothes until had hydrated and they sat down around the large preparation table in the kitchen to drink some acidic fruit juice. It was more than pleasant with the air rapidly cooling, the sounds of the night drifting in through the still open door, and the exotic taste of the juice. However First Sister stopped talking as she observed Human Second Mother pace by in that same, tense focused way, open the cold storage in the kitchen, and outright scowl at the contents before reaching in and removing several avian eggs. The adult human quickly cracked the shells, revealing the insides had been solidified through boiling, then proceed to eat the eggs with that same quick intensity she had applied to the tubers.
“What’cha looking at First?” Human First Sister asked.
“Is there something wrong with Human Second Mother?” First Sister asked, feeling her antenna curl in concern.
“Mom?” Human Second Cousin Betty asked, glancing after the retreating back of her mother. “No, I don’t think so. Why?”
First Sister explained the behavior she had observed and Human Second Cousin Betty seemed as perplexed as she did, however the older Human First Sister only nodded in confident understanding. By the time First Sister was done Human First Sister was clearly wanting to say something.
“Hormones!” Human First Sister said with final firm nod.
“What does that even mean?” Human Second Cousin Betty demanded with an irritated frown.
“Oh,” Human First Sister’s face contorted in something between and grimace of pain and a smug smile, “you’ll understand in a few years. Don’t you worry.”
“I’m not worried!” Human Second Cousin Betty insisted.
“What specific aspect of her hormones resulted in her eating so much?” First Sister quickly cut in to avoid a cousin argument.
“Its just that time of her cycle,” Human First Sister said with a wave of her hand. “Happens to all of us, eventually. You get one day where they hungry just won’t stop and nothing really satisfies it, but it’ll stop by tomorrow.”
“It’s a mammal moon cycle thing,” Human Second Cousin Betty offered when First Sister didn’t uncurl her confused antenna.
The conversation turned there as they had finished drinking and wanted to seek privacy to change out of their swimming clothes. First Sister waited for them at the table mulling over whether this strange food scavenging behavior was worth further investigation.
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