Raskrellians

Overview

The Raskrellians, often shortened to “Rask,” are a paired species whose culture blends curiosity, mimicry, and playacting. Outsiders frequently mistake them for humans, only to be startled by their synchronized behavior and the way they adopt entire cultural aesthetics from long-forgotten Earth broadcasts. At the Spaceport, they are most often encountered in twos, wearing costumes drawn from 1960s through 1980s television. Yesterday’s reporters, today’s detectives, tomorrow’s sitcom neighbors. They believe imitation is both the highest form of flattery and the surest path to understanding the universe.

Note from Trevor (security): Do not underestimate them. They may look like extras from an old TV show, but they see everything.

Appearance

To the casual eye, a Raskrellian could pass for a well-dressed human. What sets them apart is not anatomy but synchronicity. They lean together, speak in turn, and often mimic each other’s movements. Their chosen attire comes straight from old Earth broadcasts: polyester suits, trench coats, wide ties, shoulder pads, even hairstyles faithfully copied.

Note from Blue (bartender): One time a pair showed up in sequined jumpsuits, claiming to be “intergalactic crooners.” They ordered club soda and interviewed the jukebox.

Culture

Paired Identity

Raskrellians are never solitary. Each individual is bonded with another, not through birth but through cultural necessity. Their society insists that one is incomplete without the other.

Curiosity Without Restraint

They are relentless questioners. To converse with a Raskrellian pair is to endure a rapid-fire interview, one question stacked atop the last. Outsiders often describe the experience as being trapped in a ping-pong match.

Note from Rhonda (guest services): I swear they breathe in sync. It’s eerie.

Theatrical Traditions

Raskrellians treat culture as theater. By adopting personas from television, they believe they are paying tribute to stories that shaped distant civilizations. For them, to perform is to preserve. They might appear as reporters one day, cowboys the next, and private investigators the day after.

Note from Tanner (costuming): Their suits are better tailored than mine. That is not fair.

Society & Beliefs

Raskrellians hold that reality itself is a narrative, best understood by reenactment and observation. Their “newspaper,” the Raskrellian Times, is less a journalistic outlet and more a cultural ritual. Recording events, however trivial, affirms their place in the great unfolding story.

Employment is sometimes sought, often as another form of roleplay. Spaceport HR keeps a file marked Raskrellian Applications, full of enthusiastic but impractical resumes.

Note from Rhonda (HR): They once applied for “chief starship wrangler.” Not a real job. Yet.

Communication

Raskrellians converse in a tag-team rhythm. One begins a question, the other completes it, their voices overlapping. It is less dialogue and more duet, delivered with intensity and charm.

Note from Jeremy (security): I once caught them practicing questions to each other in a storage closet. They applauded themselves at the end.

At the Spaceport

To encounter a Raskrellian pair is to become part of their performance. Whether they are dressed as detectives, sitcom characters, or would-be astronauts, they will ask questions, take notes, and nod with exaggerated seriousness. They are harmless, if occasionally exhausting.

Note from Blue : Harmless until they order happy hour cocktails. Then they try to interview the drinks.