The Old Goat and the Alien

Avari keeps to themself. They're a goat-shape cosmoran, a member of the Cleaners' Union, and a bit of a grump. That suits them just fine. They don't have any friends, and that's fine, because they have siblings. And if their siblings have all grown away from them to start their own lives, then that's fine, too. Really.

But then Avari meets a lost alien in the Elder Grove, and that is not fine. Everyone is telling Avari that this alien is their responsibility just because she's lost on an unfamiliar planet. Avari can barely tolerate cosmorans; how are they supposed to cope with a human housemate?

To get Jenna the human out of their home, Avari is going to have to do several unthinkable things. They'll have to leave the house, talk to strangers, and even travel to the terrifying ocean planet that is the binary twin of their own. They'll have to learn about Earth and go to board game parties and meet some of the strangest people in the city.

They might even have to make friends. But the trouble is, Avari isn't sure they deserve them.