Review – The Courtship of Jeremy and Mitalisque
This was a fun little story to write, and it ended up with four parts! The Courtship of Jeremy and Mitalisque brings together two species.
And it all starts with just a one-word prompt: novelty.
Background
In 2021, I made it a point to try to write something or other every single day. And, I kept to it pretty well!
In order to make life easier and add some structure, I decided the first month of any given quarter would be for a daily one-word prompt. These would all go in alphabetical order. I chose most of these prompts on a whim.
Then (if I’m remembering correctly), I would write some more for the second month but as little sequels or extras. Then the third month would be for whatever. When the quarter turned to the next one, I would start again, from A. This particular story comes from the second quarter of 2021.
Plot
So, this was mostly a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants story. I didn’t really have a plot in mind to start. It wasn’t until the second section, Wax, when I decided it would be a romance.
The basic premise is a kind of ‘getting to know you’ scenario. Because I have to figure something like that will happen, for real, in the future.
Characters
The characters are Jeremy Slayton, a human, and Mitalisque (pronounced a lot like Middle East but with a k at the end, rather than a t), a genetic facilitator alien. Also, I never actually name the species.
Memorable Quotes (this is the entirety of the first part, Novelty)
“I have never tried this before.”
“Oh?”
“Never. We don’t freeze food.”
“Surely you sometimes have a surplus. What do you do with the extras? Do you can them? Smoke or salt them?”
“Neither. Any excess goes to those who are still hungry. If appropriate, extras may be fed to food animals.”
“But you do have refrigeration. Er, right?”
“Not the way you do. We don’t shop for a week, or anything like that.”
“How do you get food, then?”
“If we’re not hunting or growing it, we will purchase it, yes. But we don’t store anything edible for more than a day—two on the outside.”
“So, you’re just constantly going to the supermarket?”
“It sounds odd when you say it that way.”
“Oh, sorry.”
“It does take up a lot of our time to get food, yes. However, this is the way we get fresh foods nearly a hundred percent of the time.”
“I suppose. So, even though you don’t normally eat frozen things, do you like it?”
“It’s an interesting flavor.”
“It’s called chocolate.”
“I see. And what about your other frozen foodstuffs?”
“What about them? I’ve got fish sticks, assorted vegetables, and some TV dinners. Bachelor, you see.”
“Ah. Hence my question. Can we partake of—you called them fish sticks?”
“Sure. Just give me a chance to heat them up first. I’ll even make you fresh tartar sauce.”
“And all humans eat these things?”
“More or less. Next time, let’s try something native to your people.”
“Sure. I hope you don’t mind hunting.”
Rating for The Courtship of Jeremy and Mitalisque
The story has a K rating.
Upshot for The Courtship of Jeremy and Mitalisque
Whenever we do meet aliens (and I firmly believe that we will), if they are pleasant at all, then humans are going to hang out with them. A lot. And, anyone vaguely humanoid who doesn’t fall under the category of a taboo of some kind could very well become a romantic partner.
By taboo, I am talking about aliens who look too much like children, or who are grotesque in appearance but kind, or who are shaped or sized in a way that the mechanics of it seem impossible. Such as ten foot and taller aliens, that sort of thing.
Essentially what I am saying is, if we can make peace with them, then there are going to be some people who want to make love, too.
If Jeremy and Mitalisque can fall in love, who’s to say we can’t all learn to love aliens, too? Although not necessarily romantically.