bogleech:

bogleech:

Ok how about a Sci fi universe in which no sapient alien race we’ve ever met is even slightly shaped like us, but almost all of them are familiar with a very superficially humanoid pest that has accidentally spread to hundreds of worlds, and physical contact with it is sickening or even deadly depending on the species.

Almost every race seems to agree they’re the grodiest, creepiest, crawliest, nastiest vermin to ever exist and that we humans TOTALLY look EXACTLY like them. A lot of beings get nauseous just looking at us and are scared shitless of touching us.

So of course we would turn out to be one of the rare species immune to their poison, and due to our similar outline, the little things instinctively imprint on us, follow us around and will defend us if we’re under attack, as they normally would for the eldest of their swarm.

The human species unavoidably goes down in infamy as the spookiest civilization in the galaxy; the equivalent to a race of terrifying, giant space bugs with mysterious bug powers.

Things that might happen in this scenario:

• Some humans find the comparison really insulting and fight back against the stigma.
• Various disguise suits are developed that allow a human to look cuter
  and less threatening or even closely mimic a variety of sentient species.
• Other humans embrace our scariness because it keeps us safe.
• Either way we find the little things SUPER cute.
• Their popularity on Earth is just through the damn roof, they are practically our mascot.
• We find out it’s even easier to command them if we dress to match their color.
• We name a hairstyle after them, imitating their spiky heads.
• We befriend some of the other “creepiest” misfit races because we have this to bond over and can mutually protect one another. The idea of us all manning a starship together is an interplanetary horror cliche similar to a haunted house.