The children stared at him with wide, terrified eyes as he made his way into the classroom, head ducked low in a mostly ineffectual attempt not to taste the dust on the ceiling.
//The humans never do a very good job of cleaning up there, do they?// his implant asked, purposefully jovial in an attempt to ease back the hard spike of anxiety that was driving itself into Kajj’s chest. //I suppose they don’t have to worry about it. But it is still annoying.//
Teacher Amelia grinned broadly, gesturing him further into the classroom, as if she could not see the way that the children shrunk further into their desks as he approached. This had been a bad idea. He shouldn’t have let her and Asteri talk him into this. The children of the colony were terrified of him, he knew that and yet–
“Alright class, today we have a very special guest!” Amelia was saying, her hand hovering lightly at his back as she guided him to the front of the classrom. Shit. Shit shit shit. “This is the Daughterguard, Elder Kajj — but we’re going to call him Elder, okay? Can everyone say, ‘hi Elder!'”
There were a few half-hearted voices raising from some of the braver of the children, and Kajj flashed them a nervous smile — one that he quickly closed as he saw a few eyes widen at his teeth. “Ah. Greetings, Students,” Kajj murmured, trying to keep his voice as low and soft as possible. A quick assessment of his surroundings revealed a wooden chair behind him and he carefully moved to settle himself down upon it. “I am here on request of your teacher to talk to you abooooooooou–!”
Kajj gasped, his gastra plummeting to the floor along with the rest of him as the chair cracked beneath his weight, slamming him into an undignified heap upon the floor. His face burned deep purple as he fought to regain his balance and his composure, rolling up onto his side to face a classroom full of human children–
That were roaring with laughter.
For a moment, he gaped at them in open-mouthed offense, antennae flattened back against his skull until one of the children squealed at the sight.
“He looks just like my kitty, Snowball! Ahahaha, look at him!”
Kajj huffed, struggling to his feet and waving off the Teacher’s attempts to help him. If her chair could not hold him her arms certainly could not and–
//Kajj. Stop being an idiot for a moment and look! They aren’t afraid of you anymore.//
And it was true. As bruised as his ego was, the children were laughing and pointing, leaning forward in their seats.
Well then.
It wouldn’t be the first time he played the Big Stupid to make someone feel a little more comfortable. And by the looks of it, it certainly would not be the last.