Wallpaper and short story: Passersby...

It's been a while since the last wallpaper, so it's about time for a new one. Working on this while winding down from the release was good fun. As usual, this wallpaper is not canon.
(4K and title-less versions attached below).

It's inspired on that feeling you get when your eyes meet a stranger's eyes in some far off place and there is this moment of recognition and mutual interest before the both of you are swept away to whatever it is you were on your way to, and you catch yourself later wondering what that person's life is like, and what would have happened if you'd have turned around and spent a few hours with them, and if they are wondering the same. The closest I've come to finding a word describing that feeling is "sonder".

Anyways, we're not done yet, as it's inspired me to write a little short story. But before you read on, I'd like to propose that if you feel a story coming up with this picture, consider to write it up first and share it here or in the fanart channel on discord , and only then read on.

...

I'll give you a moment to reconsider.

...

Alright, here's mine:
Passersby...

Auris liked being a house god. She had served the family currently occupying the house for fifty-seven generations. She took great pleasure in the comfortable familiarity of her daily duties, which included maintaining the house, protecting its occupants, and interacting with the gods running the city's ancient utilities to ensure everything continued to operate smoothly. And in the afternoons of days of business, she would escort the young mistress, that would one day give rise to the fifty-eight generation, back home from the market while carrying the little strongbox with the takings of the day.

Auris enjoyed this daily, uneventful stroll through the city. Having a near indestructible body and enough strength behind her fist to punch through solid rock meant there was very little chance of it becoming anything other than a nice and uneventful stroll, and that suited her just fine. She wasn't exactly sure why a house god would need to have a body capable of withstanding and dealing such punishment, but those memories were purged long before she became a house god, and she felt it was telling that even after all this time, she never felt the urge to find out why she'd done so.

"Don't dawdle please, miss Neela", she said, as her charge fell behind to gawk at some aliens passing by. "With your mother out touring the fishing grounds to the anti-normal, you know your fathers get even more skittish than usual, and we shouldn't keep them waiting."
"What are those?" the girl asked as she caught up.
"I believe they're feral humans", Auris replied. "I can tell you more when we get in range of the house and I have access to my external memory banks again."
"Yes please, they look... interesting", said Neela. "I've never seen one of those."
"They used to be everywhere, but ever since interstellar travel broke down they've become increasingly rare", said Auris. "If I remember correctly, they once held a big colony about two-fifths prograde, a long, long time ago. But it is said they feuded themselves into extinction, and those that didn't kill each other off fell to sickness and hunger. This is the first pair I've seen since your great-great-grandmother was your age."
"Really?" Neela pouted, "That's a shame."
"You think so? You sound pretty intr..."
Auris' voice faltered for a second as they turned the corner leading to the house and her connection was reestablished, and the memories of her vast lifespan came flooding in like the spring tide. "That's interesting.", she said.
"What is?" said Neela.
"It seems you're not the first of your family to take a shine to that particular type of alien", said Auris. "I remember now that your ancestor, the twenty-third alpha, had quite a torrid liaison going on with one, and they even plotted to elope together."
"No way!" squealed Neela. "Tell me more."
"How about this", said Auris, "when we get back, you wash up while I register this in the household accounts, and then we'll gather the children in the garden and I'll tell all of you about it."
"Yes!" exclaimed the young woman, obviously looking forward to the tale.

They walked on for a bit, drawing closer to the house.
"Does, eh...", said Neela, her voice trailing off before finishing the question.
"Yes, young mistress?" asked Auris, who was pretty sure what the question would be.
"Does that mean our species are compatible?" ventured Neela. "In a physical way, I mean?
"Now what kind of question is that for the future alpha of the household?" chided Auris, but she couldn't help smiling to herself.
"I'm not a tadpole anymore you know?" said Neela. "My gills covered over four revolutions back, in case you missed that."
"Alright, I guess you are old enough to know", said Auris. "When we've put your younger siblings to bed, I'll tell you just how compatible your species really are."
"Good", said Neela, her face coloring azure as a blush spread over her cheeks. "And if we see them again tomorrow, can we invite them over for tea?"
"I don't think so", said Auris. "Humans can't drink tea, it's poisonous for them."
"Then we'll have tea, and they'll have something that's safe for them."
"I wouldn't get my hopes up, young mistress. They're fickle creatures. Chances are they'll be long gone from this place by tomorrow."
"We'll see", said Neela, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as reached the house and the gate swung open to welcome them in.

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