Monstrophy, Vol. 1

Anthropology

VAN-291 would never understand humans.

The particular human VAN-291 worked with was small and squishy, but friendly enough, if a bit...inappropriate, at times.

"How do you reproduce?" the human had asked, upon their first meeting, which seemed a strange way to greet a new coworker. "You're partly organic, right?"

VAN-291 tried to explain their reproductive cycle, which was apparently considerably more complicated than the human's own, if their expression was anything to go by. That was hardly the only time the human asked deeply personal questions, seemingly from nowhere.

"You ever get it on with an alien?"

VAN-291's cooling fans kicked on high,the loud whirring alerting the human to the polymorph's embarrassment.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, my friend! Humans bang everyone, we're not shy." the human closed one eye in a gesture meant to convey playfulness.

It was after a gathering of coworkers to celebrate a midwinter human holiday(regardless of the fact there were no seasons on the station) that the human, emboldened by alcohol, sidled up to VAN-291 in the habitation corridor.

"So, how do you blow off steam on your planet?"

"I...what? There's steam?"VAN-291's homeworld is devoid of water.

"It's a saying, not literal steam."

"I don't understand the idiom."VAN-291 stood, perplexed, gravity connectors fidgeting.

"It means to do something to relieve pressure or stress." the human explained. "I can...show you someways I like to blow off steam, if you're curious?"

The human pressed their mouth against VAN-291's face plate. The pressure didn't do much for VAN-291, but the attempt was appreciated. They ran a pair of their manipulators down the human's back, enjoying the soft warmth and slight give to the human's body. After all the strange questions and insinuations, VAN-291 was curious...

"M...my domicile pod is this way." VAN-291 walked down the corridor with the human, who had one arm looped through one of VAN-291's manipulator appendages.

Once inside, the human pushed VAN-291 up against the wall, which was slightly ridiculous given their height difference. VAN-291 bent forward to give the human better access. The human's strange hands ran down the polymorph's front, exploring the patchwork surfaces that alternated between smooth artificial plates and ridged organic muscle. The human moved to kneel in front of VAN-291, their hands moving down to caress their lower abdomen.

"There's really no polite way to ask, so I'm just gonna go for it. Van, where do you keep your genitalia?"the human looked up at VAN-291, their face flushed slightly.

VAN-291's cooling fans whirred to life again. A few plates on VAN-291's midsection shifted position to reveal a narrow vertical opening, and the human ran their hand along the edges lightly. A few more slits appeared, radiating out from the primary opening, and then peeled back like the petals of a flower to reveal a segmented bulb, almost like an orange, the human thought.

"Hmmm, I'm not entirely sure how this is going to work, but I'm game if you are."

The human stripped out of their clothing and began to rub their own genitals, eyeing VAN-291's hungrily.

"I can...adapt, somewhat." VAN-291 offered.

The human laid down on their back,gripping their thighs and spreading themselves for VAN-291's appraisal. VAN-291 positioned their gravity connectors around the human for support and lowered themselves down to brush against the human's tight opening with their bulb. It was pleasurable, if very strange. Running their manipulators over the human's genitalia while probing with their bulb seemed to produce an even more favorable response in the human, who was arching their back and grinding themselves into VAN-291's grasp.

"Oh, fuck, yeah, just like that,Van!"

VAN-291's fans were on overdrive, their ichor pumping hard through their circulation tubes. They could feel their bulb expanding against the human's heat, their manipulators already slick with the human's lubrication.

The human shuddered and clasped VAN-291 tight, uttering a strangled cry, viscous fluid smearing over the polymorph's manipulators and midsection. VAN-291's bulb split open,several silky tendrils unfurling from the center and affixing to the human's skin, where they pulsed with electricity. VAN-291 basked in the pleasurable shocks for an extended moment, before retracting the tendrils and bulb, plates shifting back over their vertical opening.Their fans slowly returned to a low, satisfied hum.

"So that's how you do it, huh?" the human asked, wrapping their arms around VAN-291 and pressing kisses to whatever plates they could reach. "I could get used to that."

Maybe they understood humans a little.