Hello Christmas

[abugslife]

[Over the last few days, people who engage in various holiday-related activities might notice that they are being watched by a Gebian. He looks exactly the same as most of his kin, but he seems to react in a somewhat abashed manner when you spot him. And...]

Hello, I am Pentu. Do not mind me; I am here merely to research Earth holidays such as Christmas, Hannukah and Kwanzaa. Would you mind answering a few questions?

[He talks! The voice is kinda insectoid and awkward, like how a cute bug would talk on a kid's cartoon, but still. What exactly were you doing that grabbed his interest? Maybe you knew in advance about him and it's a planned endeavour, even.]

Comments

[abugslife]

[Pentu raises an insectoid leg to catch a snowflake, and looks at it.]

Water... This is water! The temperature is low enough for the rain to become frozen instead! It all makes sense now... This is why it is so adhesive!

[He starts to get really excited in a very nerdy way.]

[actuallyselfish]

"There you have it!" Dido exclaims. "Ever winter in this part of the hemisphere, children and adults gather up up the snow that falls and use it for artistic and recreational activities!"

She gestures at her creation. "The Snow-human, for instance! A simple statue that mimics the human form with three spheres stacked on atop of each other! Professional snow-sculptors can create more complex shapes such as, uh, sphinxes!"

She gestures to a (bribed) group of kids across the block. "There's also the igloo, a hut made entirely of stacked snow blocks! There's ski and sled sports where you glide down hills of snow using wooden boards."

She picks up a wad of snow and curls it into a ball. "And there is the proud tradition...of the snowball fight!"

[abugslife]

[Pentu listens very carefully, and looks at all this closely, before deciding.]

I think I would like to try this out. I am sure I can create a more accurate effigy. Can you help me roll up balls of snow ov varied size? A dozen should suffice for the moment.

[actuallyselfish]

"Of course!" Dido says with cheer. She gets down on her knees and starts gathering snow. "Tell me when they're big enough! Then we'll get to the arranging!"

[abugslife]

[Suddenly Dido's back is hit by a snowball! Who could have thrown it?]

Ha ha, it was a clever trick! You have been tricked.

[actuallyselfish]

Dido, her back still turned, goes very still. "I see you've picked up the basics rather quickly, Minister Pentu!"

She turns around, five snowballs buried in the crook of her arm while she fingers one in her other hand. "Not let's see how you fare against a season master of the Snowball! Yah!"

And on December 29th, 20XX U.D., Dido Sybil flings a snowball at Pentu, striking the first blow of the first interplanetary snowball fight...

[abugslife]

Do not underestimate me. I may not look like it, but I used to be the rollball champion of my university! En guarde!

[The fight erupts. Surely there won't be no survivors.]