Helpfully Yours

When a graceful, feathered visitor from Fizbus lands on Earth, she quickly discovers that terrestrial customs aren’t covered in any manual she studied. Tarb Morfatch, armed with a meticulous handbook on human manners, misreads a simple ground‑car as a threat and tumbles spectacularly into a bustling New York street, her vibrant plumage scattering among startled pedestrians. Embarrassed and tangled in unfamiliar skirts, she watches a nervous Fizbian—Stet Zarnon—burst from the taxi, his crest ruffling with surprise.

Stet, the managing editor of a planetary press, offers a shaky introduction to bewildered journalists who swarm around her, mistaking her feathers for quirky props. As the alien navigates shouted greetings, blinding flashes, and an odd Earth dialect, she realises that polite smiles alone won’t bridge the gap. The encounter teeters between comedy and curiosity, inviting listeners to wonder how a winged diplomat will keep dignity while being told to stay grounded.