You didn’t expect to find a planet that supported life, especially not in a neighboring galaxy.

You had agreed to this expedition knowing that you had a high chance of not surviving. Your ship had been stuck by a stray asteroid, sending it barreling onto the planet of Nialto.

You had been shoved off the ship a few hundred feet above the foreign planet’s ground. You had thought it was a last ditch attempt by one of your shipmates that get some form of revenge.

But if it were, it failed.

In fact, it was likely the reason you were alive at all. You had survived your fall with little injury, likely thanks to the planet’s gravity - which was a bit less than Earth’s. Any communication with anyone on Earth was lost in the crash of your ship.

You were stuck, stuck on a planet that was somehow perfect for you to live on.

As if losing your ship, your shipmates, and any chance to get home wasn’t bad enough, you had landed in the paws of a tribe of aliens. Tall, lanky creatures with varying sizes of tail for the male species (horns for females), whose skin tones varied between greys, whites, pale purples, and even light blues.

You learned these creatures were called the Onivo. The older ones could communicate through your language fluently - as the older they get the better they can mirror other languages.

One of these creatures, a younger Onivo (around 22-24 human years old) named Licasen, seemed to have taken quite a liking to you. The elders, who were like the rulers of the tribe, welcomed you to stay and live in their village.

Licasen, or Lichen as you had taken to calling him, let you stay with him. He was best described by human terms as a puppy, following you around all the time.

Even if he had been tasked with making sure you were safe and that you were well adjusted to their planet (making sure you weren’t dying from the air of the new food) you didn’t think curling around you like a (very big) koala would it’s mother was what they meant.

Lichen peaked around the corner to his balcony, letting out a small chirp as he spotted you, his ears peeking up and his pale eyes watching you with curiosity